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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask if anyone expressing milk...

49 replies

Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:23

AIBU to ask if anyone who is or has been expressing milk ever feels empty or drained?

I'm not sure there is a right or wrong way to express with a pump (have electric and manual doubles, good ones) but I express and never feel empty. My breasts always still have a full and hard lump inside. Health visitors have said you never express as much as feeding, which is good since I get barely an ounce. But since they still contain milk why won't it bloody come out.

Worst yesterday I accidentally sprayed dh from three points when adjusting my pjamas. So my technique must be flawed somehow?

I try massage, I vary speeds and strength. I sonetimes see women with the same pump on my fb sites pumping five or six ounces at a go! Does anyone have any advice? Aibu to think expressing isn't easy at all?

OP posts:
Sleepthief84 · 20/07/2017 22:32

I honestly think it just varies from person to person, it's probably not anything you are doing or not doing. I gave up BF'ing after a couple of weeks as neither DD it I could get to grips with it but I expressed for six months. I didn't do anything special. Used a TT electric pump, just stuck it on at mid speed then turned it up full whack after five minutes or so. I'd get about 6oz off in half hour, 15 minutes each side. I know loads of people who've successfully breastfed babies who had difficulty pumping and not got much off. Does baby feed from you directly ok?

DementedO1 · 20/07/2017 22:35

I've definitely felt empty. I usually had to lean forward to almost dangle over the flange of the pump to get a good flow going though. Don't stress about it though, get what you can, expressing is no big deal. How old is your baby?

StripySocks1 · 20/07/2017 22:36

I find sitting in a warm bath (with the manual pump, not the electric one obviously!!) really helped, that and sticking a hot water bottle under my arm.

Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:37

Wow six ounces in half an hour is great. It takes me about an hour for the one.

He is combi fed and always has been due to bad problems at the start but he feeds fine off me. He drains my breasts a lot so they don't feel full but never completely.

. I know loads of people who've successfully breastfed babies who had difficulty pumping and not got much off.

Thats interesting because my friend who is ebf is also struggling, but she did used to get six ounces. Babies are now starting solids so it's dropped a bit.

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NotTheCoolMum · 20/07/2017 22:38

Sorry but it is normal not to get much with a pump. Varies from boob to boob.

I find lefty very amenable to the pump while all I can get from righty is stubborn refusal.. I'M SAVING ALL THIS FOR THE BABY it shouts, no matter how horribly full it is Sad I have experimented with increasing the pump to max setting but I swear all it does is encourage the bugger to produce more Angry

Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:40

He's seven months soon. I'm not really worried about getting much milk out because he is combi fed, but my breasts just still feel full and uncomfortable quite often after expressing so there must be more I'm there but it won't cone out.

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ChocolateChipMuffin2016 · 20/07/2017 22:41

Expressing isn't easy, its a pain and you never get as much as baby (I've got so many bags of 1oz in my freezer!). I'm no expert but have had clogged ducts at points and My suggestion would be to massage the lump, almost as hard as you can. Also positioning of the pump might help, you almost need to point it at the area your trying to unclog. I have done this with the baby and fed at what would have been almost and unnatural angle, but he drained a problem area so it was worth it.

I would keep trying different postitions if you know there's milk there as it might be the 'latch' isn't quite right. If they're full enough, the let down should come and then it will flow nicely.

Oh and the most I've ever expressed is about 5oz and that's from both sides and when my boobs have been fit to burst, but it's catered to my specific baby's requirements so I guess it's fine!

Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:41

Lol I can imagine taking the electric pump into the bath may be asking for trouble. I do leak just after a hot shower though so that's worth a try. Thanks 😊

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Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:42

NotTheCoolMum there is always the good and the bad breast isn't there? No matter what you do, the bad one won't cooperate!

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Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:43

Thank you everyone it is reassuring to hear I'm not alone in this annoyance.

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DoodleCat · 20/07/2017 22:43

Yes, normal I'm afraid. For first child I managed to pump loads (premature baby so was essential) but second none! No idea why. You could try different pumps but they're so expensive! Sorry, not much help..

Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:45

ChocolateChipMuffin2016 that's interesting to know about the different positions and luminescent because they do feel lumpy. Especially the good one. It's like a big mass lump in the center ( which never drains) but lots of small individual ones around it and under the nipple.

I didn't think about different positions or leaning forward but that's a good one to try too. Thanks.

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Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:46

Different positions and latches*

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Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:47

DoodleCat just knowing it's normal helps. Must have been frustrating to be able to pump a lot with one but nothing with the other.

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LouHotel · 20/07/2017 22:48

Nursing isnt just the action of sucking/pumping its the emotional connection.

If im travelling for work and need to pump after 12 hours of no interraction with my daughter i get half of whaf i usually get in the sitting. If i watch a video of her laughing on my phone my milk flows freely.

I can always drain my right side but my left has the feeling of something being there so much i got it checked for lumps.

hellomarshmallow · 20/07/2017 22:51

Try the Haakaa suction pump. You can express from the other side whilst feeding. It's amazing, you can lean back and you don't have to do anything!

Cakescakescakes · 20/07/2017 22:51

I bf two kids for over a year each and never got more than 1.5oz at a time (from both sides total) when expressing despite good electric pumps etc. But I had a slight oversupply problem when directly feeding them as babies. Just couldn't express much and I expressed daily with DS1 to keep a bit of a stash in the freezer.

Abacha · 20/07/2017 22:53

I'm exclusively expressing for my 16 week old twins as they couldn't latch on.I use spectra double pump and I get around 35 ounces in 30 minutes. I still don't feel empty though and on one session that I pumped for 45 minutes it totalled 42 ounces. I don't do anything to produce so much but I'm scared daily of getting mastitis or clogged duct as I'm never empty so far it's been avoided.

Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:57

LouHotel I do most of my mum in when ds is asleep so I can feel more comfortable. Usually while watching TV and with him in his room so the sounds doesn't wake him. I might try while he is awake or watching some videos, thanks.

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Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 22:59

hellomarshmallow i tried the haakaa pump, it was great but ds hates it and kicks or pulls it off now Shock. Is your baby ok with it?

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Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 23:01

Cakescakescakes it definitely sounds like some of us get more feeding than pumping and others vice versa.

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Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 23:04

Abacha that is amazing! I would say you probably have a big frozen supply but with two little ones to fill I'm guessing it's not as big?

My baby couldn't latch at first, he had a tongue tie which restricted him and took a while to rectify. It's frustrating when you think something will work easily and then they can't latch or your supply is low or something annoying.

Yes I worry with that too. I saw a friend with it once, it looked awful.

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SnuffleBadger · 20/07/2017 23:04

I ebf both of mine for 6 months but expressing always defeated me. On a couple of occasions I managed to get a total of 3ozs but as a rule I would get between 1-2ozs after 20 mins. My freezer was full of rather sad looking milk storage bags! I was amazed how many other mums I spoke to where they could happily breastfeed their baby but couldn't express any meaningful amount.

Original poster
Anxietyreallyblows · 20/07/2017 23:07

SnuffleBadger mine is too! There's a lot of them with an ounce or less in. Looks impressive until you pick up a bag and realise.

Most of the mums I know either just breastfeed and don't express or don't breastfeed anymore. Not many express but I do have the one friend who has found similar.

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Allthewaves · 20/07/2017 23:08

Always had to use double electric pump when just expressing but mainly dc fed off one side and I pumped the other while baby was feeding then switch to let them finish off the pumped breast so it was fully empty. Then used double if needed to take edge off if dh was bottle feeding g